Kids playing football in the street/cars

notanewuser

valk_scot wrote: »

I still say if you live in an area where cars are likely to get damaged and you've got a double garage then keep the cars in the garage. That's what garages are for, yes? I agree, kids shouldn't be kicking footballs at cars but you can't control every single thing that happens on the street outside your house after all and you can't expect your neighbours to be locking their kids up 24/7 on the offchance that your car may get damaged. There's got to be a bit of give and take. Yes, have a chat with the parents of the sick child to see if you can work out a solution re the goalposts. For example, you can get pop-up goalposts that come down easily when not in use. But even if the goalposts come down, the other kids will still be out there playing and chances are they'll be playing with footballs at times. So if you want your cars protected, put them in the garage.

There's nowhere that the other stuff in the garage can go (motorbike, push bikes, tools, fridge, go kart, ballpit, paddling pool etc) and the 4x4 wouldn't fit anyway. So I think half for the car and half for the stuff is okay.

Only one child lives in this street. The others come from elsewhere on the estate (passing the green to get here). But they don't have the goal (single) so they come here. When they aren't playing football they're whizzing down the middle of the road on scooters, playing chicken with cars.

As I say, I don't want the little boy opposite singled out/abandoned with nobody to play with. So word with mum, reminders to kids and getting car into garage should help, I hope.

skintchick

OP could you put a goal or paint a goal (if there's a wall) on the communal green? Would that work?

Personally I'd want the neighbour to remove the goal from the front garden and put it in their back garden. There is a social convention that front gardens are decorative only and not for playing in and they should respect that.

ebaybaby

I am gob-smacked at some of the replies on here and Im with the OP all the way.
Move house? Get a old car? Are you for real??
I can only presume that those against her are the type of parents who let their feral children take over the street with no concern for others.
Those of you stating she should use her garage for the car should then surely question why these parents are not transfering the goal to the back of their house?
My parents live in a caul-de-sac with the same problem, holidays, weekends are a free for all, every kid in the area descends there to play football, ride bikes etc. The ball constanly hits the window etc.
I think its unfair to "push" your children onto other people and Im a parent! Its selfish. I have never allowed my children to play out in a road were cars are parked.

notanewuser

skintchick wrote: »

OP could you put a goal or paint a goal (if there's a wall) on the communal green? Would that work?

Personally I'd want the neighbour to remove the goal from the front garden and put it in their back garden. There is a social convention that front gardens are decorative only and not for playing in and they should respect that.

Unfortunately not. No walls, it's a fairly wide strip of land between the road and a stream (which has trees and railings along it so children can't get into the stream IYSWIM).

Even if there were a goal round there it would get pinched by "rag and bone men". I don't think the little boy opposite would be around there to play either.

flower24

I find it alien that 6 and 7 year olds are out playing without supervision. My daughter is 6 and a half and is most definitely not allowed to play out. If these kids were being supervised this wouldn't be happening.

notanewuser

immynjoesmum wrote: »

I find it alien that 6 and 7 year olds are out playing without supervision. My daughter is 6 and a half and is most definitely not allowed to play out. If these kids were being supervised this wouldn't be happening.

As I say, the lad over the road is fine. He's playing in front of a big bay window and mum can hear/see what's going on as she does whatever she's doing. She comes out if someone gets a ball in the face or whatever. But I don't hold her responsible for the other children. I imagine its very hard, having realised that pre-diagnosis activity could have killed her only child, to want to make it so that he stands out as different.

2 of the other kids have been out playing, unsupervised since they were 2 or 3. I find it amazing they haven't come to serious harm from a car or bike or just getting lost.

flower24

I think some parents just want their kids out of their hair unfortunately :-(

thunderbird

notanewuser wrote: »

As I say, the lad over the road is fine. He's playing in front of a big bay window and mum can hear/see what's going on as she does whatever she's doing. She comes out if someone gets a ball in the face or whatever. But I don't hold her responsible for the other children. .

Not sure she is the person you need to go and speak to about it then is she?

Have you spoken to other neighbours about this to see if they are as fed up with it as you are? They may know where these other kids live and then you could go and speak to their parents - they need to know if their kids are causing damage to people's property.
Another thought - have you got a PCSO you could speak to?

notanewuser

thunderbird wrote: »

Not sure she is the person you need to go and speak to about it then is she?

Have you spoken to other neighbours about this to see if they are as fed up with it as you are? They may know where these other kids live and then you could go and speak to their parents - they need to know if their kids are causing damage to people's property.
Another thought - have you got a PCSO you could speak to?

She's the one allowing the goal to be used out the front.

I have never seen a PCSO down here, but I'll make some enquiries.

Thanks for your suggestions.

thunderbird

we have a local PCSO who often talks to the children in the village about playing safe, cycling safety, stuff like that. And also on any anti-social behaviour issues.